Skipping reel and spool options

[adam lancia]

I have several reel and spool options to work on a dedicated skipping reel setup but I don't know where the least frustrating starting point is going to be. Any help is greatly appreciated. I'll be pairing it with a 6'7" MF rated 3/16-1/2 oz and I'll be throwing jigs with trailers, t-rigged tubes and wacky worms, all within the rods weight rating. Reel and spool options are as follows:

Reels:
TD-Z 103ML
Steez (original)
TD-Z 100ML
J-Dream
Pixy: Type R + Airy Red

Spools:
Steez 100 + 103 (stock)
TD-Z 103 Type R+, 105 (both stock)
ZPI RC-001, RC-002, Blue Emblem
RCS 1012, 1016
DIY ported and non-ported

100M
J-Dream

Pixy Type R, Airy Red

Thanks in advance!!!

[LowRange]

The DIY and ZPI would be the ones I would use out of your existing inventory. The DIYs, while air brake, have thin tapered inductors that aren't ideal for skipping. What you actually need is an SV spool. An SS SV spool if possible for it's long thick inductor would be ideal.

As an alternative to picking up an SV spool for an existing reel, you could nab an Alphas SV. Alphas are awesome and this one comes with an SV spool already in it. I can't buy a great condition used Alphas and an SV spool separately for less than the new price of an Alphas SV. The Alphas SV is a great value.

[adam lancia]

I actually have an SV105 but it's in a Steez that I use for throwing weightless flukes (one of my mainstay lures), 1/4oz poppers, and weightless light worms (trick worms, flick shakes) and I wouldn't want to swap that out for a technique that I may or may not be taking up on a permanent basis. Now, if I stumble across another SV spool, that'll change things. I might try the Blue Emblem since it isn't in a reel right now.

I thought about an Alphas SV but I was hoping to find either a rough TD-Z or Steez frame for cheap and use one of my existing spools. I appreciate the input, thanks!

[Teal101]

Td-z with a Blue Emblem. I'm doing a dedicated skip combo this year and thats what I'm going to use.

[Jdmbassman]

Stock Zillion HLC with Ian Shields pixie dust sprinkled on it

[egore1]

I actually have an SV105 but it's in a Steez

Best combo I have used, skipping is really easy for me with that combo. I've wondered if the Alphas with SV would compare similarly.

[PikeRoadBassn]

I turned one of my Steez 103 SHA reels into a dedicated skipping reel with a modded 1016 spool. Great control for skipping but still has really good long range ability. It's a very versatile set up.

[adam lancia]

I turned one of my Steez 103 SHA reels into a dedicated skipping reel with a modded 1016 spool. Great control for skipping but still has really good longecrange ability. It's a very versatile set up.

Is that the fixed inductor mod you did a while back? That combo is actually my 1/2 oz jerkbait and top water combo. Do you run braid with a leader or straight fluoro? How heavy (and light) do you skip with that combo?

[PikeRoadBassn]

I turned one of my Steez 103 SHA reels into a dedicated skipping reel with a modded 1016 spool. Great control for skipping but still has really good longecrange ability. It's a very versatile set up.

Is that the fixed inductor mod you did a while back? That combo is actually my 1/2 oz jerkbait and top water combo. Do you run braid with a leader or straight fluoro? How heavy (and light) do you skip with that combo?

Adam, it is the same mod. I'm running 40# J Braid. Depending on water clarity I may add a 12-15# fluoro leader, but in stained water, just straight braid. I'm using it for 1/4-1/2 ounce baits plus trailer.

[adam lancia]

Good deal, thanks!

[hungry_cow]

Of the options you have the TDZ 103 with a ZPI RC-002 spool works great for skipping but I would say you need at least 3/8 oz for it to do its best skipping. The Blue Emplem is a good skipping spool to but for me the RC-002 has a bit more control

By far the best skipping spool however that I have used is the SV 105 spool, you can skip lighter baits and it has great control skipping everything. One of those in your TDZ 103 is what I would suggest. The TDZ platform with an SV 105 spool is what I use for jigs or plastics where I do a pretty even mix of skipping, pitching, and roll casting. Handles all of those duties perfectly.

[LowRange]

I actually have an SV105 but it's in a Steez

Best combo I have used, skipping is really easy for me with that combo. I've wondered if the Alphas with SV would compare similarly.

The Alphas SV spool's inductor is a little longer than the SV105 but is also thinner. Pics in: http://forums.tackletour.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=73178

My Alphas skips effortlessly. Teal's Alphas SV skips really well too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6NxIFMtRT4

I haven't tried skipping the SV105 spool yet but I suspect it may not be quite as good at it as the Alphas SV and SS SV spools due to the shorter inductor length.

[Teal101]

I actually have an SV105 but it's in a Steez

Best combo I have used, skipping is really easy for me with that combo. I've wondered if the Alphas with SV would compare similarly.

The Alphas SV spool's inductor is a little longer than the SV105 but is also thinner. Pics in: http://forums.tackletour.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=73178

My Alphas skips effortlessly. Teal's Alphas SV skips really well too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6NxIFMtRT4

I haven't tried skipping the SV105 spool yet but I suspect it may not be quite as good at it as the Alphas SV and SS SV spools due to the shorter inductor length.

The Steez spool is also 1.5g lighter than the Alphas spool. Heavier spools tend to carry energy longer, but start up slower. Both skip relatively well and I wouldn't say one is better than the other.

[LowRange]

I actually have an SV105 but it's in a Steez

Best combo I have used, skipping is really easy for me with that combo. I've wondered if the Alphas with SV would compare similarly.

The Alphas SV spool's inductor is a little longer than the SV105 but is also thinner. Pics in: http://forums.tackletour.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=73178

My Alphas skips effortlessly. Teal's Alphas SV skips really well too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6NxIFMtRT4

I haven't tried skipping the SV105 spool yet but I suspect it may not be quite as good at it as the Alphas SV and SS SV spools due to the shorter inductor length.

The Steez spool is also 1.5g lighter than the Alphas spool. Heavier spools tend to carry energy longer, but start up slower. Both skip relatively well and I wouldn't say one is better than the other.

Good to know it's such an excellent caster. When it comes to spool weight I've often wondered how angular momentum factors into skipping. I would think that lower the angular momentum the easier it is for the mag brakes to control the spool. 1.5 grams is not a huge difference but it is significant.